Target type toy with pivoted targets



Feb. 26, HAlSELUP 2,587,942

TARGET TYPE TOY WITH PIVOTED PARGETS Filed July 20, 1949 Patented Feb. 26, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TARGETTYPETOY PIVOTED 7 TARGETS;

George F. Haiselup, Indianapolis, Ind.

- Application=J tily- 20,- 1949, Serial No. 105,879

6-.Claims. (01.46-1).

This invention relates tora :toy structure The chief object of the. present inventionissto provide atoy having a, plurality .ofrspacedlongie. tudinally aligned targets which are :so arranged and constructed that they maybe progressively toppledwhen the foremoststarget is..struckg. r.. o that they may be toppled in succession independently of each other.

It isa further object of the present invention to provide a .toy of such constructiomthat the targets. .may readily and substantially simule. taneously .be movedstoanzupright position after they have been toppled either progressively-am successively.

The chief. feature. oimthe. vpresent inventionresides in the .constructionof the targets and .3. mounting thereof upona base in. such manner. that they may readily be :moved to an upright position in a simple, easyfashion after having been toppled.

An;additional feature of the present invention resides in the construction ofthebase upon which the targets are mounted so that a pluralityof bases maybe inter-connected to, provide a much. longer row of. targets, which targets mayo -then be top led progressively or individually andsuccessively, as desired.

Other objects'and .featuresof the invention. will be set forth more fully hereinafter.

Th full nature of the invention will beunderstood from the accompanying drawings and'thefollowing description and. claims:

In the drawings,

Fig.1 is a perspective view of a single unitwiththe obstacles or targets thereof shown in erected: position by full lines and one of them in the knocked down position by dotted lines, intermediate parts being broken away and omitted;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the interconnection. between two adjacent-ends of a plurality'of; units arranged for simultaneous operation, theforward unit tension spring being removed.

In the drawings [0 indicates anelongated base: having upwardly directed sides ll disposedsubstantially parallel to each other; base and sides comprise a light metal channeL. the sides of which can be slightly sprung for reasons set forth later.

The two sides arezprovided with spaced holes 12', the opposite holes being aligned for pivot .purposes; The obstacles or targets may partake of any desired outline 101" conformation, and: each comprises a main body portion.;l3 thatiterminates at.its:lower end] lv inabase plate portion 1 5. 1

Extending oppositelywthe; side edge zrof each:

Usually the 4 base. l5 and :inlongitudinally aligned :relation are the tongues 16,. each pair thereof being selectively.v receivable by a pair'of opposed aligned openings or holes [2. Thus each target is pivotally mounted .upon the channel base.

When disposed in erected position, the body portion.issubstantially vertical with respect to the base l0, and the end l4 and the base I5 are at a suitableangle. to each other and rest upon-the base Iii. The successive pairs of holes l2 are :so spaced. apart that. theupper'end of the target when it is falling down, engages the targetrback of it and knocks itdownandso on.

When. a. target -.is. disposed .inrknockednown' position, itsupperend will rest upon the lower.

end of the adjacent target (see :dotted lines in When the targets are .thus disposed all Fig. 1-). will fall down progressively whenthe foremost target is hit by a projectile, ball, etc., or tapped with the finger.

Note that the center -of:gravityof the-targetlies forwardly of the pivotal axis, eventhough itbe canted rearwardly to a slight degree; Thus "the target, while readily tipped rearwardly is nor-j many-constrained to the erected position after apertures, which "are aligned fore-'and-aft, .is' the cord I8. The rear end of this cord is suitably connected as by 'snaphook 20' to one end' of a spring I9. The other end of said springis suitablyanchored to hook portion. 2 I formed in and upon base I. Thus the cord is normally cone strainedrearwardly.

The other. end oflthe cord 18' issuitablysecured to a grip memberZZsuch as a ball. Herein-the side. walls ll terminate short of. the endof base l0. Theforward-endof that base isturned-upwardlyapproximatelyninety degrees to form; tongue 23.- It. is spacedfrom the forward-edges of. walls 1 l-. for. :a purpose-to be-descri'bed. The

tongue- 2-3 isaperturedat 24 to receive cord [8.

Once all-of the targetshave beentoppled'to a reclining position the juncture of the .base andi bodyportion of each-target will beposition'ed in' a plane above aperture 24. The'base portion. 15

of the target will then be: inclinedforwardly of thezvertical to atslight degree.

substantially simultaneously to an upright position.

When single impact progressive target dropping is not desired, the snap hook 20 is disengaged from the spring and a suitable number of the targets are sprung from the side walls and removed, the elongated apertures 11 passing said hook 20.

Then the front target is left as before and each succeeding target in effect is displaced rearwardly and the tongues 16 thereof are positioned in the second series of holes 25 in said side walls.

Now when the first target is struck only the first target falls. Since the length of the target body is insuflicient to effect contact with the second target, the successive targets remain erect. Thus each target must be knocked down individually. However, by pulling upon cord [8 all targets will be erected by one pull provided the snap hook 20 has been reconnected to the spring.

Reference will now be had to Fig. 2. Herein the adjacent ends of two units are illustrated in interconnected relation. Herein the rear end of the forward of the two units has its base portion H) provided with a T-shaped slot 26 immediately rearward of hook 2|. This slot has its bar portion disposed transverse to the base it and its stem portion disposed longitudinally thereof, the latter portion terminating at the end of the base It].

In order to interconnect two units the following procedure is followed: The end of the cord having a ball secured thereto is first looped rearwardly over the tongue 23 disposed at the forward end of each unit. The tongue is then passed upwardly through the slot 26. The stem of the slot will permit the cord to pass therethrough to the position shown in Fig. 2. If that stem were not provided it is obvious that the cord would be looped under the end of the base l and would not be operable. Next the snap hook 20 adjacent said slot is disengaged from its spring and snapped upon the cord l8 immediately behind the ball secured thereto. As a result of this connection a pull upon the ball disposed at the front end of the forward unit of the two units will erect all targets substantially simultaneously.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in great detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character.

The invention claimed is:

1. A target type toy unit comprising a base having upstanding side wal1s,a plurality of spaced longitudinally aligned substantially L-shaped targets each having a base portion and an upright portion, said base portions being pivotally connected adjacent their free ends to said side walls, said upright portions having an aperture formed therethrough above the respective junctures of said base and upright portions, and a cord member connected to the rearward end of said base and normally extending loosely through said respective apertures, whereby said targets may be elevated from a knocked down to an upright position by a pull upon the free end of said cord.

2. A target type toy unit comprising a channel type base having upstanding side walls substantially coextensive therewith; a plurality of longitudinally aligned substantially L-shaped targets each having a base portion and an upright portion. said base portions each being pivotally connected adjacent their free ends to said side walls a distance less than the length of an ad acent target when in its knocked down position, said upright portions each having an aperture formed therethrough above the juncture of said base and upright portions, and a cord member connected to one end or said channel base and extending longitudinally thereof through said respective apertures, whereby said targets may be elevated from a knocked down to an upright position by a pull upon the free end of said cord.

3. A target type toy unit comprising a channel type base having upstanding side walls, a pmrality of spaced longitudinally aligned targets each having a base and an upright portion disposed in slightly less than right angular relation, said base portions being pivotally connected at a point remote lrom the juncture of said base and upright portions to said side Walls, said base portions being inclined forwardly of the vertical when said targets are in their knocked down position, said upright portions each having an aperture formed therethrough above said uneture, resilient means connected to the rearward end of said channel base, and an element connected to said resilient means and normally extending longitudinally through said respective apertures, said element being biased by said means to one position and being manually movable against the constraint of said means to another position whereby said targetsmay be elevated irom a knocked down to an upright position.

4. In combination, a plurality of target type toy units adapted for interconnection one to the other, each of said units comprising a, channel type base having spaced side walls, a plurality of spaced longitudinally aligned targets each having a base portion and an upright portion disposed in slightly less than right angular relation, said base portions each being pivotally connected at a point remote from the juncture of said base portion and said upright portion to said side walls, said base portions being inclined forwardly of the Vertical when said targets are in their knocked down position, said upright portions each having an aperture formed therethrough above said juncture, a cord member having a means detachably connected to the rearward end of each channel base, said member extending longitudinally through said respective apertures, an upstanding tongue formed at the forward end of each of said units, and a complementary T slot formed at the rearward end of each of said units, the bar portion of said slot being disposed transverse to said channel base and the stem portion thereof terminating at the end of said channel base, whereby said units may be interconnected.

5. In combination, at least two target type toy units adapted for interconnection one to the other, each of said units comprisin a channel type base having spaced side walls, a plurality of longitudinally aligned substantially L-shaped targets each having a base portion and an uprightportion, said base portions being pivotally connected adjacent their free ends to said side walls, said upright portions each having an aperture formed therethrough above the juncture of said base and upright portions, a cord member having means for detachable connection to the rearward end of each channel base, said member normally extending loosely through said respective apertures, an upstanding tongue formed at the forward end of said channel base, and a complementary T slot formed at the rearward end of said channel base, the bar portionof said slot being disposed transverse to said channel base and the stem portion thereof terminating at the end of said channel base, whereby said units may be interconnected.

6. A target type toy unit comprising a base having upstanding side walls, a substantially L- shaped target having a base portion and an upright portion, said base portion being pivotally connected adjacent its free ends to said side walls, said upright portion having an aperture formed therethrough above the juncture of said base and upright portions, and cord member connected to the rearward end of said base and normally extending loosely through said aperture,

6 whereby said target may be elevated from a knocked down to an upright position.

GEORGE F. HAISELUP.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS ii) Number Name Date 971,626 Nelson Oct. 4, 1910 1,619,580 Long Mar. 1, 1927 1,941,630 Smith Jan. 2, 1934 2,141,958 Ruberti Dec. 27, 1938 2,289,690 Bak-alyar July 14, 1942 2,478,134 Smith Aug. 2, 1949 

